Has Tampa Hard Rock entered the Tyson Zone?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...m=Tyson%20Zone

Well, I know people are not wanting to give Derby credit, but I think they have it right. Line up 30 minutes before the tournament at right at the start time the line ends. count people in line, less than available seats, everyone plays. More than, pick a card. If it says seat you play. Blank means you don't. Derby doing it the right way. Fairest way to prevent what happened yesterday.

OMG! Those HR personnel are dense. I expect this time there will be injuries. I'm serious. They might end up cancelling the rest of the freerolls.

Does anyone from HR read this thread, ever? The Derby method, as described by andym above (and much earlier in this thread by me) is a good choice. Or the seating list I proposed a few posts up, even better:

Hopefully somebody will come to their senses in time before Friday.

1st of all if they did thay it should be only seated players, anyone can walk up and get on a list with no intention to play.

2nd it takes awhile to call out 200 names and some dont want it.

PX... Didn't realize you had mentioned that already, good call tho... It really does seem the fairest. Derby tried the fcfs method and they quickly changed it due to just the very thing you describe.


As for anyone from THR reading this, just wait about 4-5 weeks when jack comes from the rock he's been hiding behind to promote the WPT.

Ron, you mentioned the TD (D), he's always seemed to have a bit more common sense. I'm surprised he didn't recognize the cluster happening. At minimum they are making A change.

I never mentioned TD (D) someone else did as he was there sunday I believe. I mentioned TD (A) who is the head TD and he will be there Friday.

But there will be players on the list who are serious about the intention to play who aren't yet seated. Besides, what's wrong with "anyone can get on a list"? No worse than anyone can get in line for a seat. Better actually, since players don't have to waste time waiting in line for hours; or mill around the lobby close to line-up time, waiting to jump into line along with 400 other players all at once (which is the worst method for regular players, who will be trying to keep their seat at the cash game tables).
That's why you start calling names an hour before the tournament start. Takes a while, but at least it's fair to everyone and lets the actual cash game players stay seated as much as possible. After calling the 200 names, you can call more if some refuse the seat.

In fact, they don't have to call names of anyone already seated at cash game and swiped in. Just have a brush walk up to them and take their ID to process a seat ticket for them. Only those that aren't yet seated need to be called.

To explain it further, here is how I see it working:

1. At 3 hours before tournament start, make a list of all the players who are swiped in to the system - either seated at a table or on the list for a seat.

2. Take that list of players and randomize it first to last. (A smart person can do this on the computer. Or, make slips or something as players swipe in and pick them from a hat or drum.) (Or, another possibility: Do it in order of swiping in to the system, but start five hours before the tourney instead of three. As good as a first-come, first-serve line up, but without the waiting in line and line-jumping problems. Just ask when they swipe in for cash games at registration if they also want to get on the list for the tourney.)

3. At 1 hour before tournament start, call off the names of any of the first 200 players on the list who are not currently swiped in at the tables. Register those who respond for the tournament (and take them off cash game lists). Send them to the tournament side to line up for the tournament start.

4. Call off the names of the first 200 players on the list who are still swiped in at the tables (or have a brush go get them, and note any who don't want the seat to take them off the list). They must leave the table and go register for the tourney if they want to play it (should be about 1/2 hour now before tourney start). They go to line up for the tournament start.

5. Close the cash game tables needed for the tourney so players can be seated and tourney dealers can get set up.

6. At 15 minutes before start, call next names on the randomized list to fill seats which aren't claimed. Continue until filled.

I'll be getting fitted for a hockey goalie outfit to be ready to jump in line on Friday when they open it.

(Alternatively, do #3, 4 and 6 as soon as the randomized list is ready, but let the players do what they want after getting registered for the tourney, i.e. play cash game. There are lots of different ways to go about it once you have the randomized list in hand. The point is that it's a better way to award seats than a fcfs line up. I was right about my warnings for the advance line-up method for Sunday. I hope they listen to me this time.)

Just thought of another method for the freerolls that might be even better:

Register everyone who wants to play as they arrive, starting 4 hours before and up to 3 hours before. If there is a line of people at that cutoff time waiting to complete registration, rope it off and have a brush stand at the end of the line to cut it off exactly at 3 hours before. Should there be less than 200 players registered (unlikely but possible I guess for the 9am tourneys), run registration for another hour exactly.

When a player registers, instead of giving the player two copies of the seat ticket, give them one and put the other in a drum. Then pick 200 from the drum and give those players back their second copy. 15 minutes before tournament start, they show their two copies and ID and then pick a seat card for their actual seat (not the one on their registration ticket) and sit down.

Run stacks for any no shows, to let them arrive late if they so choose. No need to fill any seats that remain empty, or pick twenty alternates from the drum to take those seats (awarded in the order picked) at the end of the re-entry period.

This gives everyone who arrives by 3 hours before an equal chance at a seat, and avoids a lot of the logistics hassles of the other methods.

Sorry, you are correct... Still amazes me about this place, you don't have a clue who is in charge of anything. Derby lane, the silks, even luckys I have a certain sense of who's in charge of what. The isle you know, palm beach you know, I've been to daytona three times and I have a better idea of the hierarchy there than at THR. Damn HHR I've played twice and know that bill mason is the person who knows what's up. For people that are grinders or weekend warriors, or even more than the casual player, a room should be inviting and motivating people to play. Derby does very nice promos and tournaments, as does the silks... Luckys has that nice plo game I wish I was rolled for. THR thinks that people will just flock and right now they're right. But piss enough off and it probably will decline. I might be crazy to think this way, but for right now I don't see a real reason to go there.

Actually, it's very high. They don't go by list length, they go by what they think makes them the most, and 2/5 usually gets priority.

So I'm takin off early Friday! What time should I show up for the stampede? 10:30 ok?

If they do like they say then 10:55am would be ok since people will not be in line but only clogging up the hallway 400 deep, lol. Should be interesting and there will be some pissed people for sure.

Lol thx Ron! The goalie suit that was talked about probally not a bad idea lol.

I don't understand the concept of not allowing people to line up - when there will be hundreds of people just mulling around - this will be a fail...

I think they should hold an MMA style 1 minute round to decide the first 200. That is what it is going to turn into anyways, might as well say they planned it.

Hey HR - How's this for unintended consequences: I am off from work on Friday and had a lunch scheduled in the area so was going to come and play cash afterwards. Now, after reading the above, I'm going elsewhere because I wouldn't come within a mile of your cluster f--- of a room that day if you paid me.

Seriously, get your act together.

I'm specifically staying away from hard rock on freeroll days as well. Those free-loader free-rollers clogging up the "waiting" area drive everyone nuts looking for their "lottery" chance at binking a 200man shovefest for a few K's. I'd rather pass out free scratch off tickets

Take the $15 k and every hour between 9 am and midnight select a random NLHE table and splash the pot with an extra $500 for the next two hands. Place will be packed. No injuries to patrons. No line cutting hassles. Profit.

The (mis)management of the room is a huge fail! Notice how Jack of Hiding Under the Rock has been absent for months? Wait until the WPT, Jack will be right back on here pumping and dumping, LOL

Seriously, these guys just don't give a rat's patootty, the room is profitable because of the casino and so they thumb their noses at the players and especially the regs. They don't have any business sense or any desire to engage their customers because, well let's face facts, they don't have to, they don't teach proactive customer service at THR, for this I am certain.

ParisRon does more to be helpful and informative than anyone that draws a paycheck from from THR, they should pay him for all he does on here.

I talked to Adam. He said he would love to make it some sort of lottery give-away for the freeroll seats instead, but they can't do it now because the already announced it as the current method (first come, first served).

So here is what he is planning to improve it:

1. Not allow the line to form until one hour before the registration (i.e., four hours before the tournament).

2. Police the line better to prevent line-jumping.

3. Instead of running the first 200 in line through registration, hand out vouchers to the first 200 to allow them to register at their leisure.

So here are my predictions:

1. There will be hundreds of people milling around waiting to jump into the roped-off line as soon as it opens. When it does, there will be all sorts of jostling and various forms of arguments and unpleasant physical contact.

2. Doesn't matter because the line-jumping will already take place under #1.

3. So now players who don't intend to play the tournament or stick around for it can also get in line and then sell their voucher. Oh boy.

I don't see why they can't change it to a lottery-style give-away. They haven't officially advertised it as any particular method. And besides, who's going to stop them from changing it? Why not deal with anyone who objects the same way they do with their tournament decisions - "sorry, that's our decision."

I did recommend that they give everyone in line a $10 slots free-play voucher good for the same day, so at least everyone gets something for waiting around. He liked the idea, but has to pass it on to casino management for approval.

Cabbage Patch Kids. Tickle Me Elmo. Playstation. THR freeroll.

I try to wrap my head around the concept of "not allowing a line to form" but I really have no idea WTF that even means. You have 200-400 people showing up prior to the "line start time" and just what the hell are they going to tell them to do? Tell them they have to go out into the main casino area? Tell them they can stand next to the ropes, but not between the ropes and the wall? So a line forms parallel with the rope line, but it's not an official line, then at the designated time, everyone jumps over the rope?

I wish someone could get them to explain exactly what they think is going to happen just prior to the line "opening". I just can't visualize it.

My guess: there will be a mass of people lining up back of the empty roped-off line, with security coming by every 10 minutes or so trying to get it to disperse. Bring your tear-gas mask.

I expect to get a seat voucher. I will accept sealed bids until 15 minutes before the end of the late entry period. There is a $10 non-refundable bid processing fee, due in advance in cash.

So you can sell your voucher for sure? I would much rather get $50-$60 and just play cash games than play that turbo shove fest.

So you are sure that now the line will form at 10am friday instead of what he said before that it wouldnt form until 11am?

Also, it clearly says at the bottom of all promo sheets that management reserves the right to change or cancel the promo without notice.